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Sharing natural heritage stories experienced in the field. From the waters of Lake Dalrymple to the grasslands of the Carden Alvar, Mud Inspired Nature supports the conservation of our natural environment.

Carden Field Journal: Amphibians, reptiles and insects

It’s starting to feel like summer here in Carden! Over the course of weeks five and six, I continued working with species at risk and partook in an invasive species control effort with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. This is meaningful work which will help Carden Alvar Natural Area thrive ecologically. Aside from work I had encounters with various wildlife.

Amphibians, reptiles and insects delivered much excitement while I was driving down or exploring the back roads. One rainy day I was driving on a road which passes through a swamp, and I came across a snapping turtle. Unfortunately, it scurried off the road so quickly that I didn’t have time to take a decent photo. The good news is he made it off of the road, safe from passing vehicles.

On the same road, the next week, I had to assist a blandings turtle across the road. This animal posed for a few photos which was cool, and it had a decent sized leech attached to its shell. I took a moment to peer into the swamp, adjacent to Lake Dalrymple, where the turtles had been travelling to and from, and admired the details and colour the wetland had to offer.

In addition, I handled my first smooth green snake on the warmest day of this two-week span. The snake was approximately 30cm in length. It didn’t mind being handled for a brief moment, so we had time for a photo-op. I also saw a spittlebug for the first time; many times I see evidence of it which looks like saliva on grassy vegetation. The foam-like substance, essentially bubbles, acts as the bugs natural defence mechanism.

Other neat moments from weeks five and six include seeing a natural nesting cavity of an American kestrel, observing the changing wildflower colours and finding karst geology on the Carden plain. Oh and I can’t forget the turkey hen that I startled unintentionally while hiking… it caught me off guard majorly and I laughed it off.